


Divergence in the Woods

by Sunshineditty



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Drabble, Gen, Multi, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 22:03:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6772006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshineditty/pseuds/Sunshineditty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve will do anything for Bucky; so will Cap for the Winter Soldier. This is more than differing ideologies regarding the Sokovia Accords - it's about a fierce and abiding love that transcends time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Divergence in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> I came home and immediately wrote this after seeing the movie for the first time. No betas or edits other than check to make sure there are no misspellings. I don't even care if there are grammatical errors. I just had to get this down. This is what was going through Cap's head during a few scenes (and yes, I took liberties with the dialogue).

Steve - because he _was_ still Steve the slight nebbish boy from Brooklyn beneath the 200 pounds of muscle and pretty-boy flash - sighed heavily as he thought of Tony and the other Avengers arrayed against him. He knew they paid lip service to his loyalty to Bucky, but they would _never_ understand exactly what the two of them lived through together from spotty-faced boys playing stick ball on the streets to hardened men of war fighting for the survival of the world. Sure, the Avengers had fought and won against otherworldly beings, but this amazing technological age wouldn't be possible without the defeat of Hitler back in Steve's true youthful days. If Hitler had his way, Steve highly doubted the Avengers would exist - at least in the free ranging form they were today.

"I'm not worth this," Bucky quietly said, his tone of abject bewilderment.

"Don't ever say that. You are worth everything."

It was true. The world could - and probably would eventually - burn down around them and Steve would gladly let it as long as Bucky was at his side where he belonged. When he'd lost Bucky on the train that cold day so long ago, Steve had ceased to really exist. He was nothing without the other man, his twinned soul and mirror who showed him both the beauty and flaws that existed around them. Bucky knew the _true_ him in a way no one, living or dead, did. Not even his dearly departed Peggy.

"I...just...don't get it."

Steve held back another sigh, this time one of frustration instead of faint regret. He wished they weren't on their way to stop another madman from enacting world domination or some such rot - to be honest, Zemo's motives were murky at best and didn't really make sense, though he supposed all would be revealed when they reached their destination. There was no time for a heart to heart, the sort Bucky always excelled at because he was the introspective and smart one between the two of them, so Steve stayed silent until they landed and were readying themselves to leave the plane.

"Remember the time we went to the fair and you spent all your money on trying to win the bear for that redhead?"

Steve chuckled a little, ignoring the small stab of hurt at how easily distracted Bucky used to be whenever a pretty girl walked by. It didn't make sense then and it didn't make sense now, nearly a century later.

"Redhead? I was trying to win it for you," Bucky corrected. "It was the one with your favorite player's number on it and I wanted you to have a souvenir."

The blond turned and stared at his friend. "What? I remember you chatting the girl up. Her name was Delores, but you called her Dot."

A small smile softened the Winter Soldier's usually grim-set mouth. "She was pretty and I was trying to convince her to distract the carnie so I could figure out how to beat the game." He shrugged a little in dismissal as if he hadn't completely upended Steve's expectations on how the universe worked. Bucky was beautiful and the apple in every girl's eye while Steve was his tag-along buddy who couldn't even get a girl to look at him much less dance with him. It didn't quite compute that his best friend had wanted to give a gift to him for...Steve wracked his brain trying to figure out a reason why. It wasn't near a holiday or his birthday so ...why would Bucky want to win him something?

A finger flicked him in the forehead. "I can smell the burning in your brain from here. Stop thinking so much, Steve-O. We have a job to do."

For a moment Steve was transported back in time - before the Avengers, before the vibranium arm - to the days when he barely made it to his friend's shoulder and Bucky jostled him out of his moods. This time, however, he shook himself free of past memories trying to keep hold of him as there was a job to do. He thumped Bucky's shoulder in retaliation for the insult and they jogged out of the cargo hold; they cautiously made their way across the packed snow until they stood before the ajar bunker doors.

"Why does it always have to be a bunker?" Steve muttered. He remembered the last one he went into as he and Natalie attempted to research the past in hopes for answers in the present. He also remembered barely making it out alive because it blew up.

"What?"

"Never mind. Watch your step," he cautioned. They crossed the threshold shoulder to shoulder, braving the icy darkness together.

The silence should've been comforting but was ominous instead. Nothing stirred so they made their way across the large hall towards the service elevator in the back. They stood face to face in the small moving box and Steve watched the lights flash across Bucky's face, both highlighting his bold features and hiding the gleaming slickness of his silver arm. Steve hated the arm because of its strength, its abilities, and mostly because it was a symbol of all Bucky had done without him. Despite the trials and tribulations of his friend's past, nothing ever felt so right as knowing Bucky was besides him. Would it be wrong to stitch their flesh together, meld their bodies until nothing could ever separate them again?

The lift thumped to a stop with a wrenching groan and Steve gingerly raised the barrier, shield thrust before him automatically to bear the brunt of any attack. Nothing happened but when he tried to advance forward, Bucky stepped out first with his gun in ready position. He methodically swung it back and forth as he sought out any position their enemy might take; Steve rolled his eyes and gamely followed as he'd done for most of their lives.

A few minutes later Steve cursed himself for wishing something might happen because Tony walked in wearing his full regalia. Their truce was unexpected but welcomed as was the delight at Bucky's continued vigilance despite the ceasefire; it was yet another reminder of better days when his friend was the shield that stood between him and danger. It didn't seem to matter that Steve's serum-enhanced body was nearly indestructible against most weapons of mass destruction; Bucky's job was to protect him and he would do so even with repeated reminders to stand down.

Eventually, however, the Winter Soldier grudgingly accepted Iron Man's presence - and make no mistake, it was about Iron Man and not Tony Stark - so the three proceeded into the room that changed everything.

**Author's Note:**

> I liked "Winter Soldier," but didn't really see the slash potential between Cap and Winter Soldier because they spent most of the movies at odds and not in a Harry-Draco sort of way. Then "Civil War" happened. Cap was so desperate to save the Winter Soldier despite knowing his actions (both past and present) - even to the point of sacrificing his teammates in a way the Captain America of the previous two films wouldn't have done. This showed how serious he was about protecting his friend and possibly one true love? Either way, I'm now obsessed about these two, especially when the camera lingers on Bucky's perfectly framed thick lips before cutting to Steve's piercing stare. I see it now, I've drunk the Cap's koolaid.


End file.
